Our workplaces are becoming more and more saturated with things to steal our attention. It can be a sobering experience to look back on our day and see how little time we actually spent working on things that mattered. When we’re working to our full potential, we can sometimes achieve a state of “flow,” or a mental state when we’re so focused in our work that everything else fades away. (You might call it the “The Zone” or a “groove.”) Unfortunately, it’s becoming harder to get into these mental states when we’re constantly bombarded by distractions.

Here are some of the best ways to firewall our attention and ensure that we don’t finish the day completing a fraction of what we set out to do.

1. Figure out where your time is being spent
2. Keep email closed
3. Make heavy use of email filters
4. Define your “Big Rocks”
5. Don’t check email in the morning
6. “Do Not Disturb” time